Any way you want it: OpenOffice.org Calc spreadsheet keyboard shortcuts

I get a lot of requests from people switching office suites who want to know how a feature is done in Microsoft Office, compared to how it works in OpenOffice.org.

It usually ends up that the person wants a list of shortcuts. And I say "but you can have any shortcut you want in OpenOffice.org, it's incredibly configurable." I don't really like to give out lists like that because it gives the impression that it's fixed. If someone wants Ctrl 2 to make text double-spaced and they see it's assigned to the Heading2 paragraph style, they might think there's nothing they can do about it.

All this is kind of a meandering introduction to the following general topics:

You can have virtually any shortcuts you want in OpenOffice.org.

There are a zillion  features you don't know about that you can apply shortcuts to.

It's really easy to do. And once you've got it set to your preferences, you can easily give the file to your friends.

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You can have virtually any shortcuts you want in OpenOffice.org.
Choose Tools > Customize, and click the Keyboard tab. Those are the current shortcuts. But to change one, just select something in the Category list, something in the Function list, the Keyboard Shortcut of your choice, and click Modify. Bam, you have your new shortcut.  The world is your oyster.

There are a zillion  features you don't know about that you can apply shortcuts to.
Sooooo many features that aren't on the menus or toolbars, and possibly not on the right-click menus, are in the Keyboard tab.

As mentioned, choose Tools > Customize, Keyboard tab.

Select the first Category, and scroll through the Functions. Look at all that. You can set up any of those to use a keyboard shortcut you want, or you might see something you like that has a keyboard shortcut with it already.

The keyboard shortcuts are different for OpenOffice.org in general, and for Writer, for Calc, for Impress, and for Draw.

Here are just a few functions for Calc. The first screen shot shows that it's Ctrl Page Down to go to the next sheet, and Ctrl Page Up to go to the previous sheet. You can use this as is or change it.

Here are just a few functions for Writer

Here are just a few functions for Draw

It's really easy to do. And once you've got it set to your preferences, you can easily give the file to your friends.

All right. You've chosen Tools > Customize. You've clicked the Keyboard tab. You've scrolled through and found the feature for making line spacing doubled. And in the Shortcut Keys list you find Ctrl 2, the shortcut you want to use. It's already occupied by being assigned to Heading 2. That's fine. Just click Modify and it'll switch.



Here's what it looks like now, with Ctrl 2 assigned to double-spacing.



Now let's say you want to share this and any other shortcut configurations you've made with your friends, or all the folks you support in your job as an IT professional.

* Click Save.
* Name the file and click Save.

Then give the file to someone else and tell them to:

* Choose Tools > Customize, Keyboard tab.
* Click Load
* Find the file and click Open

Want to give this post a plug on FSDaily?

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Comments

[Jean Hollis Weber]

Excellent advice and good explanation, as always. However, the article doesn't say whether the recipient of the configuration file needs to save it in a particular folder, and if so, where?

[Solveig]

Hi Jean,

Good question. Nope, the configuration for keyboard shortcuts is surprisingly simple. Put the file anywhere, then in that keyboard window just click Load and find the file.